About the Concentration

The Archives Concentration is designed to make our local, regional, national and international histories public through research projects and professional training. Through a combination of academic coursework, practical experience and independent research projects, students learn about the institutions and repositories that shape our knowledge and understanding of our collective pasts through the collection, preservation, interpretation and display of artifacts, manuscripts and representation of historic sites.

The Archives Concentration creates an interdisciplinary community of students engaged in first-hand use of primary sources in the arts and architecture, medicine, law, history, social activism, the histories of institutions, communities and professional organizations. Through a sequence of courses, students gain knowledge of the theory and practice of archives and public history methods through which these materials are shaped into compelling narratives.

Practical experiences in two internships give students an opportunity to learn about archival acquisition, processing and description skills, and building finding aids that make collections available for scholarly use. Students in disciplines in which archival research is already featured, such as history, American studies, and the study of women and gender, as well as those in the sciences and social sciences, are encouraged to apply.

Students are eligible to apply for the Rebecca Samay Rosenthal '07 Fund to support their internships and capstone research for the Archives Concentration. Click here for more information about the fund.